User blog:Talryssa/Tenebrous
A light tap upon the bedroom door stirred her from sleep. She immediately glanced about to see if it were daylight, and was quickly reminded how futile the gesture was. While the manor was nice, it was underground, and sunlight ever failed to reach the manor. She roused herself from the bed, and trudged to the door. Upon opening it, she saw the gentile face of Annielle. “Apologies for interrupting, Miss Mayor…” a stern look interrupted the kindly gnome… “Madam Swiftwings, I mean. I still slip up at times… but a message has arrived, and the poor dwarf what delivered it seemed somewhat frantic, if you kin.” Talryssa gazed down upon the gnome, who’d insisted on staying with her even after her term as mayor was over. Annielle did a meticulous job of keeping the manor clean, preparing meals like clockwork. She kept the pantry stocked and the table full of delicious snacks. “What time is it?” she inquired, trying to keep her voice calm. There was both a tinge of agitation at being awoken, though she couldn’t blame Annielle Landingham, the woman was near santly, and also a surge of curiousity. Annielle averted her gaze, and the tips of her ears turned bright red. She cleared her throat, yet her voice was as civil and clear s ever. “It’s nearing three in the morning, Miss.” She held out the rolled parchment before her, her own eyes gleaming with curiousity towards Talryssa. Talryssa couldn’t help but smile warmly to the venerable gnome, and let out a exasperated sigh, which was quickly betrayed by a crooked grin. Both women chuckled softly, as Talryssa broke the seal and unrolled the message. “Dearest Talryssa”…. She thought to herself “So formal.” Clearing her throat, she began reading again. “Dearest Talryssa, I have discovered something strange. I’m not sure I can even begin to describe it. It’s just something you’re going to have to see and experience for yourself. I’ll see you soon. Signed, ‘L’” Her eyes narrowed slightly. That’s it? That’s all? Cryptic as heck. She wasn’t even completely sure who “L” was. Why the need to be so vague? She twisted her jaw sideways, and blew a strand of hair from her eyes, and reread the note. There was nothing else she could figure out about it. She gave a shrug to Annielle, and shook her head. The small woman nodded, seeming to understand without the need for words, and began to wander off. Tally watched her for a moment, then began to close the door again. She paused, and called out. “Don’t you ever sleep, Miss Landingham?” A small tinkle of laughter filtered up through the stairs as the gnome retreated below. “No rest for the weary, Miss. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” That comment brought a frown to Talryssa’s face, as she slowly closed the door. She stood in the doorway to the hot springs for a few moments, letting the warmth caress her for a moment before she retreated to the bed. The genial gnome was up there in age. She began to wonder what the average life span of a gnome was, exactly how old Miss Landingham was, how long would she be around, even if not doing the day to day chores that homeownership required, why she still chose to serve Talryssa, even though Talryssa clearly held no position of authority, and many other questions that eventually faded into the comforting darkness of sleep. Category:Blog posts